Mission San Jose High School

This school is the best of the best. It's strong academic programs are not the only reason why many parents and children are drawn to this school; Mission also has a great athletics program in which almost all the sports teams have gone to NCS. Mission's homecoming is one of the best in the FUSD. Although it's true that some of the teachers are less than stellar, most of them are willing to put in the extra time to help students in need ( even in Honors classes). Overall a really good school that truly pays off in the end.
--Submitted by a student

MSJ is no doubt an extremely strong school, with 46 AIME qualifiers, 2 USABO Finalists, and 2 USNCO Finalists this year alone. The teachers are very educated and experienced: the faculty includes a number of Stanford and Berkeley alums, several doctorates, published authors, former lawyers, and even the son of the co-founder of Adobe. With a number of talented students and teachers, a higher standard is to be expected. Some might call it positive reinforcement. Smarter students lead to harder classes, which lead to more competition and even smarter students, which lead to even harder classes, and so on. The unhealthy level of competition means that some students will ultimately be unable to catch up with their peers and will fall behind, never to regain their original pace. The competition breeds occasional cheating and other unethical behavior as well. Still, MSJ is a good school for people who are passionate about academics. The overall atmosphere is safe and there is plenty of school spirit, especially during homecoming week. MSJ is also in the process of expanding its course offerings to include more AP and dual-enrollment classes with the local community college.
--Submitted by a student

I am a graduate of MSJ and with no doubt in my mind Mission San Jose High School has lived up to its reputation for known as a very competitive school. This school truly taught me to go beyond my studies. Of course, I was accepted into a prestigious university as my peers pressured me to. This school is full of arrogant and pretentious students. I was always upset and furious because I could never be the best and there would always be someone in my class that would surpass my grade. No matter how hard you try, there will always be someone in this school who will make you feel inferior. Of course, I was bullied at this school, but I did not let it weigh me down. But, that is just me and I am a very reconciling and calm person. I have seen many fights at this school, but what can I say, people will be people at this school. I made a pretty nice amount of friends and there was always someone to hang out with, but I felt that no one really understood the real me. Sorry to be cynical, but no one can really be trusted here. My favorite teacher was Mrs. Carroll because she really cared and her tests were so challenging, I expected no less from one of the hardest teachers on campus.
--Submitted by a student

Much ado about nothing. Moving 30 miles to get into this school was a huge mistake....
--Submitted by a parent

I'm currently a junior at Mission, during what's supposed to be the most stressful year of my life. It's going much more quickly than I thought it would, and I don't feel particularly crushed by the workload. The students and staff are generally friendly, I can't say that I don't feel safe here, and--aside from our football--our athletic programs are stellar. We captured All-Sports last year, and I am looking forward to being a part of a MSJ boys volleyball team making it back to the NCS title game.
--Submitted by a student

Overall amazing. Academics. Sports. Drama. Music. <3
--Submitted by a student

We moved into the MSJHS school area in time for the high school. I have two children at MSJHS. Both are happy, made lots of friends, particpate in multiple clubs and still do very well in academics. We are happy that we have moved into this school area. Competition is part of life and as parents we need to teach our children how to manage time and stress to succeed in lifr.
--Submitted by a parent

My daughter have just started attending MSJ this year. So far she likes all of the teachers, especially Japanese. As mentioned by other parents, facilities and grounds could be improved, but it is the education that matters more. There is somewhat more homework than in Junior High, but it is to be expected. Parents seems to be more involved than at other schools. Marching band is very large and well organized, even though the teacher there seems too tough on students at times. Students themselves focus on studying more than in other schools ( I know because my daugher has friends at other High Schools in Fremont), I do not feel there is peer pressure for a girl to dress or look in any particular way, as may be seen among teenagers at other schools. Overall, we really like
--Submitted by a parent

We have fun while working hard, and our homecoming skits/airbands are the best in the area :)
--Submitted by a student

I'm a long-time parent in this district and I would never send my child to this school. If you are not the brightest of the bright and then do nothing but study, you can't possibly succeed here. There is not enough focus on being a diverse person, developing the whole person and accepting failure (or at least dealing with it). The only way to feel accepted at this school is to take 2-3 AP courses every semester. The kids themselves will shun anyone not performing at the top of the class. This creates a stressful environment on top of the already stressful life of a hormonal teenager trying to figure out who they are and what they want to do in life.
--Submitted by a parent